News from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre

• From Author Readings to Literacy Parades, the 39th Annual TD Canadian Children’s Book Week and Reading Town Canada Cultivates a Joy of Reading

Twenty-nine of the country’s most celebrated children’s authors, illustrators and storytellers will visit libraries, schools, community centres and bookstores across Canada from May 7th to May 14th as part of the 39th annual TD Canadian Children’s Book Week. Sponsored by TD Bank Group in collaboration with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC), TD Canadian Children’s Book Week is the largest national event celebrating Canadian children’s books and the importance of reading. Each May, during the week-long event, more than 400 live book readings and activities are provided for 28,000 children in every province and territory across Canada. Click here for more information.

• Sylvan Learning Helps to Celebrate TD Canadian Children’s Book Week

Sylvan Learning Centres across Canada are excited to participate in the single most important national event celebrating Canadian children’s books and the importance of reading. To celebrate this event they are sponsoring a reading contest. You can have your students enter this contest by choosing a book written by a favourite Canadian author. Please submit entries to the nearest Sylvan Learning Centre to have a chance of winning a prize.

Primary (K-3): Students must submit an illustration of the most interesting event in the story or write three sentences on why they liked the book.

Intermediate (4-7): Students must write at least five sentences explaining why they liked the book.

High school (8-12): Students must write a paragraph explaining why they would recommend this book to a friend.

Contest rules: All entries must be submitted by May 14, 2016. Contest winner is decided by participating Sylvan Learning Centres and all decisions are final. Winners will be contacted by phone or email by May 31, 2016.

News from our Friends

• IBBY Canada is inviting submissions from Canadian children’s book illustrators for the Joanne Fitzgerald Illustrator in Residence Program. The program provides a jury-selected illustrator with a month-long residency for October 2016, to be hosted at the Stanley A. Milner Library in downtown Edmonton.

Submissions will be evaluated by a jury with expertise in children’s books and illustration. The submission deadline is Friday, May 13. Click here for more information.

May Book List: TD Canadian Children’s Book Week Authors and Illustrators

To celebrate the start of TD Canadian Children’s Book Week next week, we have decided to feature the authors and illustrators who are touring for the first time this year. For this year’s Book Week theme guide, which includes more books and additional resources, click here.

Picture Books

Double Trouble at The Rooms
Written by Lisa Dalrymple
Illustrated by Elizabeth Pratt-Wheeler
Tuckamore Books, 2016
ISBN 978-1771030793
IL: Ages 3-8 RL: Preschool-Grade 3
There’s no room for Nat’s polar bear in her house. It seems there’s no space for him anywhere. On a class trip to The Rooms in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Nat wonders if they’ll let Bear in. But the museum has room for all sorts of fun and maybe even a bear – or two!Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Duck, Duck, Dinosaur
Written by Kallie George
Illustrated by Oriol Vidal
HarperCollins, 2016
ISBN 978-0062353085
IL: Ages 3-8 RL: Preschool-Grade 3
Three eggs in a nest begin to wiggle and wobble until CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! It’s a duck… duck… DINOSAUR! Meet Feather, Flap and Spike. They’re three unlikely siblings who each want to stand out. But together, they make the biggest splash! Perfect for families of all kinds, this playful, clever story has a dino-sized heart.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

The Fabulous World of Mr. Fred
Written by Lili Chartrand
Illustrated by Gabrielle Grimard
Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2014
ISBN 978-1554553464
IL: Ages 4-8 RL: Kindergarten-Grade 3
Pierrot was a dreamer child, whose only friends were imaginary. Until the day Mr. Fred entered his life, with his invisible book… Pierrot is now an adult, but he never forgot Mr. Fred, his first real friend. Every day, Mr. Fred would sit in the park and read an invisible book of stories. Every day, Pierrot would join Mr. Fred and listen to the wonderful stories he told. One day, Mr. Fred did not come. However, before he died, he took care to pack his storybook — the real one! — for Pierrot. Maybe one day he can memorize all the stories, too…Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Giraffe Meets Bird
Written and illustrated by Rebecca Bender
Pajama Press, 2015
ISBN 978-1-927485-35-4
IL: Ages 3-7 RL: Preschool-Grade 2
Since 2011, Rebecca Bender’s award-winning Giraffe and Bird books have been tickling the funny bones of children and their families as the cantankerous cronies learn that friendship, while not always easy, is always worthwhile. But how did this unlikely pair become friends in the first place? In Giraffe Meets Bird, Bender’s bright acrylics and lively storytelling reveal the friends’ early days, while pairs of scrumptious synonyms make her trademark rich vocabulary accessible to a new, younger audience.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

I’m Drawing a Picture
Written and illustrated by Doretta Groenendyk
The Acorn Press, 2015
ISBN 978-1927502-50-1
IL: Ages 4-10 RL: Kindergarten-Grade 5I’m Drawing a Picture combines story and images to captivate and inspire young readers to harness their creative spirit. A collaboration between artwork and text, this whimsical book has a different inspirational idea on each page, with a scene that each “artist” imagines. The concept is based on Doretta Groenendyk’s experience working with children in schools and trying to inspire them to be creative in all forms of art media.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

The Little Knight Who Battled Monsters
Written by Gilles Tibo
Illustrated by Geneviève Després
Scholastic Canada, 2015
ISBN 9781443133845
IL:Ages 3-8 RL: Preschool-Grade 3
Sometimes, the bravest thing a knight can do is lay down his arms. In a curious kingdom built on top of a forest lives a little knight. He has no battles because there are no enemies around. One day, the little knight wakes with a start to a loud knocking at his fortress door. Three of his loyal subjects have been kidnapped! With fresh chocolate cake in his belly, he sets off into the dark forest to find the monsters holding them captive. Can the little knight keep his vow and return them home safely? Also available in French: Le petit chevalier qui combattait les monstres (Éditions Scholastic).Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Teatime
Written by Tiffany Stone
Illustrated by Jori van der Linde
Simply Read Books, 2015
ISBN 9781927018675
IL: Ages 3-8 RL: Preschool-Grade 3
A nighttime adventure begins when two friends share a cup of tea — by jumping into the cup off a teaspoon! Rowing a sugar cube and sliding down a teapot spout are just some of the fun they have as they enter a land of sweet surprises. Lilting rhyming text by Tiffany Stone and gorgeous illustrations by Jori van der Linde create a classic bedtime read-aloud that brings to mind the poems of A Child’s Garden of Verses.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Junior & Intermediate Fiction

Billy Sure, Kid Entrepreneur
Written by Luke Sharpe
Illustrated by Graham Ross
Simon & Schuster, 2015
ISBN 978-1-4814-3947-3
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-7
Meet Billy Sure, 12-year-old inventor and CEO of Sure Things, Inc., and discover all of his wild and wacky inventions in this start to a hilarious middle grade series! Everyone is talking about Billy Sure, the 12-year-old CEO of Sure Things, Inc. and genius inventor of the All Ball, a ball that turns into different sports balls with the push of a button. Now Billy wants to help other kids achieve their inventing dreams just like he has!Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Kah-Lan the Adventurous Sea Otter
Written by Karen Autio
Illustrated by Sheena Lott
Sono Nis Press, 2015
ISBN 9781550392449
IL: Ages 7-11 RL: Grades 2-6
Kah-Lan, a young sea otter, is hungry. He is sure there are big crabs and sea urchins, his favourite foods, around the point, but his mother won’t let him out of her sight. Then, one day, Kah-Lan sees his chance. He and his friend Yamka race to the point and soon they are swept into danger. Will they ever get back home?Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

March Grand Prix: The Fast and the Furriest
Written and illustrated by Kean Soo
Capstone Young Readers, 2016
ISBN 978-1623701710
IL: Ages 7-10 RL: Grades 1-3
In this new, turbo-charged graphic novel by Kean Soo, author of the acclaimed, award-winning series, Jellaby, March Hare wants to be the fastest and furriest racecar driver around. But first, this rabbit racer will have to prove his skill at the speedway, on the streets and in the desert. With pedal-to-the-metal illustrations and full-throttle action, March is sure to be a winner!Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Narine of Noe
Written by Danika Dinsmore
Hydra House, 2015
ISBN 978-0989082860
IL: Ages 9-12 RL: Grades 4-7
Before the White Forest was born, before the Great World Cry, the story that started it all… Narine of Noe should have had her whole life to train to take her father’s place as High Sage. But, when a mysterious force falls from the skies, sending the world into elemental chaos, the fate of every living being lands on her shoulders… even that of the Eternal Dragon. Without the Dragon to maintain the Balance of All Things, an elaborate plan to save Faweh must be hatched, and Narine is forced to take charge in a world gone mad.Amazon | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

OCDaniel
Written by Wesley King
Paula Wiseman Books, 2016
ISBN 9781481455312
IL: Ages 8-12 RL: Grades 3-7
From the author of Incredible Space Raiders from Space! comes a brand-new coming-of-age story about a boy whose life revolves around hiding his obsessive compulsive disorder — until he gets a mysterious note that changes everything. With great voice and grand adventure, this book is about feeling different and finding those who understand.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Young Adult Fiction

Endangered
Written by Kate Jaimet
Poisoned Pencil Press, 2015
ISBN 9781929345168
IL: Ages 12-17 RL: Grades 7-12
Hayley Makk is a wisecracking high school dropout who works as a cub reporter for her dad’s tabloid newspaper, the Halifax Independent. She’s alone in the newsroom when a call comes through on the scanner: the cops have discovered a blood-spattered shack in the woods, where a teenage victim was murdered in a botched drug deal. Just as she’s pursuing the first big scoop of her career, Hayley is pulled off the story by her dad. But events take a sinister twist when Hayley discovers a connection between the captain of their research boat and the blood-spattered shack.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Exposed
Written by Judith Graves
Orca Book Publishers, 2015
ISBN 9781459807228
IL: Ages 11-17 RL: Grades 6-12
Raven is cunning, aggressive and whip-smart – she’s had to be to survive. She was taken in at a young age by the boss of a car-theft ring, who rescued her from a life of hell. For too long, she’s believed she owes him everything and used her uncanny urban climbing skills to train young recruits for what she believes are victimless crimes. Until Raven discovers that his compassion for the kids he wrangles into the ring is just a front, and they are all merely tools of his trade, nothing more.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Future Imperfect
Written by Simon Rose
Tyche Books Ltd., 2016
ISBN 978-1-928025-45-0
IL: Ages 12-17 RL: Grades 7-12
Andrew Mitchell was one of the leading experts in highly advanced technology in Silicon Valley until he vanished following a car accident that also injured his son Alex. When a mysterious app later appears on Alex’s phone, he and his friend Stephanie embark on a terrifying journey involving secret technology, corporate espionage, kidnapping and murder in a desperate bid to save the future from the sinister Veronica Castlewood.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Light of Day
Written by Allison van Diepen
HarperTeen, 2015
ISBN 9780062303479
IL: Ages 14-17 RL: Grades 9-12
When Gabby Perez is almost drugged at a nightclub, she decides to take action. She teams up with a mysterious stranger known as X to go after a gang that is drugging and kidnapping innocent girls off Miami streets and forcing them into prostitution. As their search deepens, Gabby and X can’t ignore their undeniable attraction to each other. Then Gabby discovers the truth about who X really is and the danger that surrounds him. Can their love survive the light of day?Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Jewel of the Thames
Written by Angela Misri
Illustrated by Sydney Smith
Fierce Ink Press, 2014
ISBN 978-1927746509
IL: Ages 12-17 RL: Grades 7-12
There’s a new detective at 221 Baker Street. Set against the background of 1930s England, Jewel of the Thames introduces Portia Adams, a budding detective with an interesting – and somewhat mysterious – heritage. When her mother dies, Portia puzzles over why she was left in the care of the extravagant Mrs. Jones but doesn’t have long to dwell on it before she is promptly whisked from Toronto to London by her new guardian. Once there, Portia discovers that she has inherited 221 Baker Street – the former offices of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.Amazon | Indigo | Canadian Bookstores | Wholesalers

Author’s Corner: Nadia L. Hohn

Nadia L. Hohn has been writing stories, drawing, and making books since she was five years old. She is the author of the Music and Media books in the Sankofa Series, published by Rubicon Publishing. Her first picture book, Malaika’s Costume, was recently published by Groundwood Books. Nadia lives in Toronto, where she is a public school teacher.

How did you get started as a writer?

The short answer is I have always been a writer.

Now for the long answer. Writing is something I have been doing from a very early age. As a child, I was very bookish and an early reader. At the age of six, I began to write and illustrate my own books. I also started keeping a journal at the age of nine. I have over 60 today. In Grade 7, I started writing my first novel. In high school, I wrote articles for my school newspaper and eventually continued on to university and community newspapers. When I was 20, I did an internship at Psychology Today magazine in New York City where I wrote articles that got published.

In spite of all of this, I didn’t look at writing as a viable career, just some hobby or “lofty goal.” Growing up, I didn’t know any writers personally. Although I loved to write, I wanted to keep it as something that I could choose to do instead of have to do. I didn’t want to make writing “my bread and butter” out of fear that I would grow to hate it. So, after considering many different careers, I became a teacher, although my mom really wanted me to become a nurse or some other health professional (like many women in my family).

I had an ex-boyfriend who was a professional writer. When I shared something I wrote, he thought it was very good. He was also working on the draft of a novel, which I had proofread. He once told me that writing is something that chooses you. I now understand what he meant since no matter what career or field I considered, I was always writing.

In 2009, I began to write a book that could teach kids about the media and it eventually became the first chapter of a novel. In early 2010, I took Writing for Children 1 with Ted Staunton at Mabel’s Fables bookstore so that I could develop the chapter further. For one of the course assignments, I wrote my first draft of Malaika’s Costume among other stories. The course helped me to not only rewrite that chapter, it “excavated stories from my subconscious”, and rekindled my childhood hobby of creating picture books. Even though I received a good grade in this course, I thought my teacher was being generous and not because I actually wrote well.

Getting diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2010, I got a wake-up call. Although the prognosis was good and treatment full of challenges, there were also a few blessings. Cancer helped me to realize how suddenly one’s life could end and drastically one’s health could change. I felt it would be a tragedy if my talents were unused and dreams were unfulfilled including those books I wanted to write. During my recovery, I began to write more each day. By starting a blog called Blue Butterfly which chronicled my healing journey and transition to veganism, writing became my “lifeline” — therapy, community, and passion rolled into one. I wrote so much during that time — sometimes two or three blog posts in one day as well as shared photos, restaurant and book reviews. I kept a journal and made art too. Writing was something I could do when I had no appetite or little energy to do anything else. It was “my constant friend” when I was in 4 days of radioactive isolation. (Twice.) As my treatment neared its end, I became even more determined to write and publish. My writing dreams flourished.

I began to attend CANSCAIP’s monthly meetings and writing conferences, took more courses, networked, entered contests and awards, joined a critique group, applied to MFA programs, and kept on writing. It paid off. Within one week in late 2013, I received two e-mails. The first was from Rubicon Publishing looking for writers for books in its Sankofa series (which resulted in me writing Music and Media books). The second was from Sheila Barry, by then publisher at Groundwood Books, indicating that she was interested in publishing my manuscript for Malaika’s Costume. After receiving Sheila’s e-mail and then an award for that manuscript in 2014, I began to see my writing as a special gift to be shared which changed everything. I became a writer.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing process?

I write something everyday — it’s usually my journal, e-mails and Facebook posts. As for my stories, they usually sit in my head for a while (days, months, even years) before I commit them to paper. Novels are a little slower to write but I am working on that. Also, I take a lot of courses and like writing critique groups because I work well with deadlines, which helps me to finish my writing projects and get stuff done. They hold me accountable. I am a full-time teacher so my writing projects fit around everything else. I write before work, late at night, on weekends, on vacation, at a cottage — it all depends. I usually have a few projects “in the works” at once.

Tell us about your new book, Malaika’s Costume. What inspired you to write it?

A few things inspired me to write Malaika’s Costume. As I mentioned, I wrote it for a picture book assignment in Ted Staunton’s Writing for Children class. My experience of attending Caribana (formerly the Toronto Caribbean Carnival) as a child and playing Mas’ (wearing costume and dancing in the parade) as an adult, a picture book that I created in Grade 5 called “The Greatest Carnival Ever” and a strong girl character who is resilient, creative and plucky are all things I wanted to portray. The immigration experiences of women in my family and others of Jamaican and Caribbean descent, that often involved parents separated from their children and their partners or spouses, comes out in the story. This is called “the barrel children” phenomenon. Also, my students at the Africentric Alternative School also inspired me to write stories that I could use in my classroom. They were my very first “critique group” for Malaika’s Costume, just by their reactions to the story any time I read it. These all came into the telling of Malaika’s Costume.

What were your favourite books growing up?

I loved Walter Dean Myers in high school. A book called Motown & Didi was the first novel that I read and re-read. I connected with the teenaged characters as it was set in Harlem. At that time, I had never been to Harlem. Even though I had often visited relatives in The Bronx in New York and I grew up and lived in Rexdale and the Jane and Finch communities of Toronto, I could relate to Myer’s characters and Harlem for its diverse ethnic groups, urban environment, inequalities, and struggle. I also loved Blue Tights and Every Time A Rainbow Dies by Rita Williams Garcia as well as Rosa Guy. I read mostly African-American authors from my pre-teen to teen years — Terri McMillan, Alice Walker, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison—although these were not kids’ books. I also loved a book called Honey, I Love by Eloise Greenfield. I loved reading Judy Blume, The Little House and Babysitters Club books. As a child and pre-teen, I also loved reading non-fiction books about the human body and stories about different countries and the children who lived there. For Canadian books, I loved Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker and Harriet’s Daughter by M. Nourbese Philip. Philip’s book was the first time I read a story that was about a life so similar to my own — immigrant and first-generation African-Caribbean girls in Toronto. It was fantastic! I loved Owl, Chickadee, Highlights, and National Geographic World magazines.

Do you have any suggestions for teachers on how to incorporate your books into the curriculum? Do you have any activity suggestions?

Yes. Some themes and subjects that are found in Malaika’s Costume, such as environmentalism and recycling, celebrations, families and immigration stories, art with found materials, geometry and spatial sense, as well as music, Carnival arts and character education. As a teacher, I know how helpful these lesson plans can be, so I am working on some as we speak. These will be available on my website in the near future.

What projects are you working on now? Can you tell us about any upcoming books?

Currently, I am promoting Malaika’s Costume in bookstores, at events and in libraries in Canada and the United States. Malaika’s story continues in the sequel picture book, which will be out in fall 2017. I am also working on a few writing projects, including editing my middle grade novel manuscript and conducting research for a book. I also hope to turn Malaika’s Costume into a play, so I have already written some scenes and am developing it further.

Amy’s Travels in YA

by Amy Mathers

With TD Canadian Children’s Book Week happening from May 7 to May 14 across Canada and the Festival of Trees coming up in London, Toronto and Sault Ste. Marie, May is a very good month for Canadian children’s and YA authors to strut their stuff.

I’ve read books by all of the CCBC’s YA authors’ line up for this year’s Book Week, and anyone who attends one of their public events is in for a good time.

Starting on the west coast, Wesley King will be touring Vancouver Island. Known for The Vindico Duology (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers) and the recently published OC Daniel (Simon & Schuster, 2016), King is a creative thinker who is sure to entertain.

Author Vicki Grant will be cracking up audiences in the Yukon. Her most recent book is Small Bones (Orca Book Publishers, 2015), part of the Secrets series, and Grant will be discussing her varied and prolific career.

Kate Jaimet, author of Endangered (Poisoned Pencil Press, 2015) and several Orca Sports titles, is taking on Alberta, talking about art and science in a presentation featuring endangered sea turtles. That makes me wish I was out west to see it!

Authors Angela Misri and Allison Van Diepen are covering Manitoba, which means YA readers there will be especially lucky to hear about the concise logic and detailed research behind Misri’s Portia Adams Adventure series (Fierce Ink Press), as well as the inspiration behind Van Diepen’s page-turning reads. Van Diepen’s latest offering is Light of Day (HarperTeen, 2015).

Next up in Ontario are Marty Chan, author of the Ehrich Weisz Chronicles (Fitzhenry & Whiteside), who will be talking about the latest book in the series, as well as his playwriting skills; and Danika Dinsmore, author of the Faerie Tales from the White Forest series (Hydra Books), who will be exploring world-building and writing speculative fiction.

Robin Stevenson will be touring in Quebec. While her most recent teen fiction book is The World Within Us (Orca Book Publishers, 2015), Stevenson has lots to offer all age groups with her latest non-fiction title, Pride: Celebrating Diversity and Community (Orca Book Publishers, 2016). She is also offering creative writing workshops and insight into the art of revision.

Last but not least, Judith Graves, author of the Skinned series (Leap Books) and Exposed, part of the Retribution Trilogy (Orca Book Publishers, 2015), will be in Nova Scotia. All of her many presentations are to die for!

If you’re interested in attending the public presentations of these awesome YA writers, check out TDReads.com for all the event listings. Attending is an excellent way to show your support for your favourite authors. Last year I heard Susan White, author of Ten Thousand Truths (Acorn Press, 2012), speak in Toronto about the inspiration behind her books, and it was a truly enlightening experience.

So, enjoy the month and keep your eye on your Twitter and Facebook feeds to find out which books children and teens pick as their favourites for the Festival of Trees. Also, if we’re lucky as readers, the authors traveling across Canada will be inspired by their experiences during Book Week to write some more fantastic Canadian teen fiction in the future. It happens more than you’d think.

—Amy

Amy Mathers read and reviewed 365 YA books to raise money for the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award in 2014. Read about her journey at www.amysmarathonofbooks.ca.

Illustrator’s Studio: Geraldo Valério

Geraldo Valério was born in Brazil. He graduated from the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, and received a Master of Arts degree from New York University. He is the author and illustrator of many books published in Canada, the United States, Brazil and Portugal, and his most recent work is My Book of Birds (Groundwood Books). He lives in Toronto.

How did you get started as an illustrator and how did you develop your unique style?

I love being an author and illustrator. Since I was a child, I’ve always enjoyed making drawings and being creative with my hands. When it was time for me to go to university, I knew I wanted to study art. A course I took opened my eyes to the imagination and beauty of children’s books.

The illustrations that accompany my work are done in mediums with which I can freely play with colors and textures. I like experimenting with collage and I’ve used this technique in a lot of recent projects.

Click to enlarge.

Can you tell us about your illustrating process? (Here you could share some pictures.)

It usually starts with an image that comes to me unexpectedly. Then I create a story for this image. Once I have this picture and story in my mind I then make many sketch drawings. At this point I already know which technique I will use. I keep making adjustments to my sketches to better fit the story and also to accommodate the demands of the book’s design.

When I am using collage for the final art, I can spend hours cutting and gluing paper; I have a lot of fun doing this.

Tell us about your latest book, My Book of Birds. What inspired you to create it?

Growing up in Brazil, I always saw many beautiful birds around me. There was a river close to my house and along the water we would find egrets, wild ducks, gallinules and finches. I became fascinated with birds.

I’ve also been very influenced by the work of artists such as John James Audubon. His paintings are so magnificent that I became inspired to create my own books of birds.

I had published a book about Brazilian birds, and that got me excited to do a book about North American birds. I used to live in British Columbia, and on walks along the water I would see blue herons, eagles and swans, and they became my friends.

Do you have any suggestions for educators who would like to use your books in the classroom?

It would be so great to see My Book of Birds used as a launching pad to explore students’ interests relating to science, the environment, stewardship and creative, artistic expression.

What were your favourite children’s books and illustrators growing up?

Growing up, our house had only a set of encyclopedias. I read those 12 volumes over and over. I was fascinated to learn about animals, plants, different countries and historical figures.

What projects are you working on now?

I am so thrilled about my current projects, two of which will be published in Fall 2016. A tale I wrote and illustrated, Turn On the Night (Groundwood Books), features some brave, helpful characters.

Moose, Goose, Animals on the Loose! (OwlKids Books) is a book I wrote and illustrated about Canadian wildlife. It has a lot of movement and energy!

Images courtesy of Geraldo Valério. Visit geraldovalerio.com for more information about his work.

Canada’s independent booksellers share their recommendations for kids and teens. To find a local independent bookstore, visit findabookstore.ca.

We are so excited to see Don Calame’s Dan vs. Nature on our shelves. Like Don’s other teen books, Swim the Fly, Beat the Band and Call the Shots, Dan vs. Nature had us laughing out loud. It is perfect for all sorts of readers — reluctant, avid, teen, adult or a combination thereof — who enjoy an engaging story, a good belly laugh and a fart joke or two. —Kim Ferguson, Co-owner

Montgomery Sole is a square peg in a small town, a girl with two moms forced to go to a school full of homophobes and people who don’t even know what irony is. Her saving grace — her two best friends, Thomas and Naoki. Monty’s obsessed with paranormal mysteries like ESP, astrology, superpowers, and the healing powers of frozen yogurt, but when strange things actually start happening to Monty, she realizes that the greatest mystery of all is herself.Recommended by Serah-Marie McMahon, Children’s Buyer for Type Books

In this tense psychological drama, five teens find themselves trapped in a boys’ washroom at their high school when a lockdown is called. When they discover that someone with a gun is prowling the halls of the school and ultimately work out the true extent of his plans, they are forced to work together to try to prevent him from succeeding. As the five unlikely comrades face this situation together, they get to know one another and form a unique bond. Told from their alternating points of view, Pignat’s latest masterpiece is powerful, poignant, filled with high stakes drama and simply unforgettable. —Lisa Doucet, Co-manager